Harvester and feeder



W. A. JOHNSON HARVESTER AND FEEDER Original Filed July 22, 1958 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY-Y.

June 17, 1941. W. A. JOHNSON HARVESTER AND FEEDER Original Filed July22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYJ.

Juana 17, 1941.

W. A. JQHNSON HARVESTER AND FEEDER Original Filed July 22 1958 I5Sheets-Sqeet 3 INVENTOR.

a V1 rc n m W M Mf Patented June 17, 1941 HARVESTER AND FEEDER WilliamA. Johnson, Springfield, Ill., assignor to The Ohio Cultivator Company,Bellcvue, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application July 22,1938, Serial No.

1940, Serial No. 333,008

(o1. lie-2s) 1 Claim.

The present application relates to a harvester and feeder, and moreparticularly to harvesting and feeding means intended to be applied to,and used in connection with, a Vehicle for carrying or operating uponthe material to be harvested. Specifically, my invention is disclosed inassociation with a transit hay baler; andit is the primary object of theinvention to provide means, associable with, and operating inconjunction with, a transit hay baler, for rapidly and effectivelyharvesting and gleaning the crop to be baled, and delivering the crop tothe baling chamber of the machine with which the harvester and feeder isassociated. Further objects of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention maybe embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,attention beingcalled to the fact, however, that the drawings areillustrative only, and that change may be made in the specificconstruction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of theappended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hay baler with which the harvester andfeeder may be associated, part of the feeding mechanism being shown isintegrated with the baler;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary viewof the harvester and feeder, thefeeding, mechanism being shown in some detail;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the feeding mechanism, taken upon a planeparallel with, but spaced rearwardly from, the plane of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view of the drive mechanism for the mower;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental end elevation of, the gathering reel andmechanismassociated therewith; i i l i Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectionthrough one specific form of conveyor desirably used in the feedingmechanism; i

, Fig. '7 is a fragmental plan view, showing the manner in which theharvester and feeder is supported and associated with the vehicle; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.l H

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that, inFig. 1, I have illustrated a hay baler, or other vehicle, indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral H), and carryinga prime mover l,which is connected by a belt. l2, to drive a flywheel 13. The flywheelI3 is connected, preferably through a friction clutch, to drive a pinionl4 meshing with a'gear l5, which, in turn, meshes with a bull wheel l6.Prefera ly, h million driv Divided and this application May 2,

by the flywheel meshes with a gear on a shaft which carries two othergears respectively meshing with two identical bull wheels. Since,however, this gear train forms no part of. the present invention, I haveillustrated only the simple single train above described.

The shaft of the bull wheel I6 carries a sprocket ll which, through achain |8 running over a tensioning idler I9, drives a sprocket 20 (seeFig. 2) of a transmission 2|. The bull wheel l6 meshes with a gear 22connected to drive a sprocket 23 which, through a chain 24 running overa tensioning idler 25, drives the sprocket 26 on a shaft 21.

The harvesting mechanism of the present ap plication is indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral 28 in Figs. 2, 3, and 7; andcomprises a frame 29 carried, by arms 39, upon a sleeve 3| journalledupon a dead axle 32 which is formed, at one end, with a fork 33 adaptedto be pivotally connected, as at 34, to a bracket 35. The bracket 35 ismounted upon the vehicle It! coaxial with thevchi cle wheel 36, so thatthe axle 32 is substantially coaxial with the wheel 36, but is mountedfor oscillation about an axis substantially parallel with the directionof travel of the vehicle, so that the ground wheel 31,,supporting theouter end of the axle 32, may follow irregularities in the groundsurface.

Adjustable-length links 38 and 39 further connect the frame 29 to thesleeve 3|; and a brace 49 is connected at one end to a bracket 4|carried by the sleeve 3|, and at its opposite end to a bracket 42 on thevehicle to assist in absorbing stresses in the direction of travel ofthe vehicle;

A lever 43, secured to the sleeve 3|, projects upwardly therefrom;.and ahook 44 connects one end of a spring assembly indicated generally by thereference numeral 45, with said lever. The opposite end of said springassembly carries a pulley 46 through which is threaded a cable 41, oneend of which is attached to a bracket 48 on the vehicle, and the otherend of which is wrapped about the rotor or drum 49 of a winch carried bythe vehicle. A ratchet 50 is fixed on said drum, and a pawl 5|, mountedon the vehicle, coopere ates with said ratchet to hold the drum 49 inany desired position of adjustment. Obviously, the winch49 may beadjusted to increase ordecrease the tension of. the spring assembly 45.

Referring, now, to Fig-2, it will be seen that I have illustrated aconventional mower comprising a shear plate 52 and a transverselyreciprocable cutter arm 53 to which, as at 54, is

connected one end of a link 55, the opposite end of said link beingconnected, as at 56, to one arm of a bell crank lever 51 (see Fig. 4).The other arm of said bell crank lever is connected by a pitman 58 withan eccentric stud 59 on a wheel 69 carried by a shaft BI which likewisecarries a sprocket 52 adapted to be driven, through chain 63, from asprocket 64 mounted upon a shaft 65. Through suitable jointed means (notshown) the shaft 65 is connected to be driven by the shaft 21 (see Fig.1).

A gathering reel, indicated generally by the reference numeral 66 inFig. 2, is associated with the harvesting mechanism and comprises a mainshaft 61 supported in bearings one of which is shown at 68 in Fig. 2.Said sleeve like bearings are supported, by hangers 69, from the frame29 and are, of course, held against rotation. The shaft 61 is connected,through a flexible coupling 19 with a shaft H which is driven by thesprocket 29 and which carries the bevel gear 12 within the transmission2|.

The main shaft 61 carries a spider 13 in which are journalled aplurality (in the illustrated embodiment, four) of gathering shafts 14,15, 16, and 11 (see Fig. Each of said gathering shafts carries aplurality of picker fingers 18 which are adapted to urge material cut bythe cutter bar 53 rearwardly onto a continuous belt conveyor 89 forminga part of the assembly 28. Desirably, the picker fingers 18 will be heldagainst rotation about the axes of their associated gathering shafts;and I have provided means for so holding such fingers.

Upon the bearing 68 are mounted two sprockets 19 and 89 (see Fig. 5)These sprockets are provided with set screws, or the like, whereby theymay be secured against movement with respect to the bearing 68; but itwill be obvious that, when the set screws are loosened, the sprockets 19and 89 may be individually or simultaneously adjusted as to theirpositions of rotation with respect to the bearing 68. During operationof the device, however, the sprockets 19 and 89 will remain immovablewith respect to said bearing.

The gathering shaft 14 carries a sprocket 8| and the gathering shaft 11carries a sprocket 82. Said sprockets SI and 82 are connected, by achain 83, with the sprocket 99; said chain running over the sprockets89, 8|, and 82, and over a tensioning sprocket 84 adjustably mountedupon a bar 85 carried by the spider 13. Similarly, the shaft 16 carriesa sprocket IBI and the shaft 15 carries a sprocket I82, said sprocketsHH and I82 being connected to sprocket 19 by a chain 86 passing over thesprockets 19, I BI, and I82 and over a tensioning sprocket 81 adjustablymounted on a bar 88 carried by the spider 13.

Obviously, all four sprockets BI, 82, ISI, and 182 might be chainconnected to a single stationary sprocket to accomplish the function ofholding the picker fingers 18 against movement about the axes of theirgathering shafts; but I have found that, where a single chain is soused, the respective gathering shafts sometimes get out. of adjustment;and that uniformity is most easily provided. with the mechanism hereinillustrated in detail.

The conveyor 99 extends across the full length of the unit 28, materialcut by the cutter bar 53 being deposited on. the said conveyor 89 by thegatherin reel 66. Said conveyor runs over a roller 99 and a roller 9I,and over a roller (not shown) positioned at the opposite end of the unit29. Adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 89 there is positioned ashort cooperating conveyor 92 which runs over rollers 93 and 94. Theroller 94 is mounted upon a shaft 96 which carries a pulley and an idlerpulley coaxial therewith and therefore not shown. A belt 91 drives fromthe pulley 98 on the shaft 65 over the above-mentioned idler pulley,thence over the pulley 99 associated with the roller 99, and back overthe pulley 95. Thus, if the shaft 65 is driven in a clockwise direction,as viewed from the right-hand end of Fig. 3, the pulley 99 will likewisebe driven clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3, and the pulley 95 will bedriven counterclockwise.

Material is delivered from the conveyor 89 onto a conveyor carried bythe vehicle, and indicated generally by the reference numeral I99. Thisconveyor is illustrated in detail in Fig. 6. It comprises a shaft I9Ijournalled in suitable supports on the vehicle, and a shaft I92 carriedby links I93 adjustable about the axis of the shaft I9I. Sprockets I94on the shaft I9I and sprockets I95 on the shaft I92 carry two parallelendless bands I96 to which are secured a pluralit'y of flexible apronsI91, preferably made of canvas or the like, said aprons being secured tothe bands at their leading transverse edges and being free at theirtrailing transverse edges, the trailing transverse edge of each apronoverlapping the leading transverse edge of the next succeeding apron.This particular structure has been found to b extremely efficient in thehandling of straw, hay, alfalfa, and the like. A further conveyor I98cooperates with the conveyor I99 adjacent the discharge end thereof,said conveyor being threaded over idler sprockets I99 and HI,respectively carried by shafts H9 and II 2 and over a sprocket I 21'carried upon a shaft I21 later to be described. Material is fed, by theconveyors NH and I99, between a drum H3 and a drum H4. The drum H4 ismounted, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for floating movementabout the axis of the shaft I21; and said drum is formed with aplurality of ribs on its peripheral surface. The ribs H5 of one seriesextend from the right-hand end of the drum rearwardly, as considered inconnection with the direction of rotation of the drum, toward the medianplane between the opposite ends of the drum. Similarly, the ribs I I6 ofthe other series extend from the left-hand end of the drum rearwardlytoward the median plane between the ends of the drum. Preferably, theribs of one series are staggered peripherally with respect to the ribsof the other series.

The cooperative effect of the drums I I3 and I I4 is to force thematerial being handled to move across the table I28 to and through theinlet port H1 into the baling chamber of the illustrated machine; thematerial being guided in such movement by a shield I29 as shown in Fig.3.

The transmission 2| includes a gear I I9 meshing with the beveled gear12, and carried upon a shaft H9 (see Fig. 1) which carries a sprocketI29. As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, a chain I26 leads aroundthe sprocket I29, under sprocket I22, on shaft I 9! over sprocket I23 onshaft I21, under sprocket I24, and over sprocket I25 which is connectedto the drum H3. The shaft I21 likewise carries a further sprocket I39which, through chain I28, drives sprocket I29 carried by the drum H4,

This is a division of my application Ser. No.

220,621, filed July 22, 1938'.

It will be understood that I desire to compreing said main shaft, asprocket on each of said gathering shafts, a plurality of sprockets onsaid main shaft, a sprocket chain connecting a, pair of adjacentsprockets to one of said sprockets on said main shaft, and a sprocketchain connecting another pair of adjacent sprockets to another of thesprockets on the main shaft, said last mentioned sprocket chain and pairof adjacent sprockets being out of alignment with said first mentionedsprocket chain and pair of adjacent sprockets, the said chains formingsubstantial triangles.

WILLIAM A. JOHNSON.

